'Cathedral Thinking' For Transit

"The short attention span of today's society presents a remarkable contrast to that longer view. A focus on quarterly results in business, rapid technological changes, busy family life, and democracy's next election all conspire against a multi-generational point of view. We need to be conscious of this tendency toward short-term thinking when making important decisions about how to build a city and its various components."

"Ottawa's new light-rail plan deserves careful scrutiny, not only because of the magnitude of the financial resources required, but also because of the need to ensure our investment stands the test of time. Some call this 'cathedral thinking.'"